1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an air valve for use with an inflatable article, and in particular, to an air valve which provides a tight seal yet offers ease of use when inflating and deflating the article.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Regular inflatable articles, such as life buoys, splash pools, boats, and toys, among others, are commonly equipped with an air valve. The user inflates the article by pumping air from a pump (e.g., hand pump, foot pump, etc.) through the air valve into the interior of the article. To deflate the article for storage, the air is normally released via the air valve.
The function and effectiveness of the air valve is critical to the use and enjoyment of the article. For example, some of these articles are quite large (e.g., splash pools and boats) and therefore require a lot of air for inflation. Therefore, it can be very time-consuming to inflate, and deflate, such a large inflatable article. As another example, the air valve must be effective in preventing leaks.
Conventional and known air valves suffer from a number of drawbacks. One common drawback is that many of them are not effective in preventing leakage. This drawback can be attributed to a number of different reasons. First, the structure of the different components of the air valve can be such that leakage occurs between the components. Second, the materials used for these air valves may have become worn through extended use and therefore do not function as effectively in preventing leakage. Another common drawback is that some air valves have a very complicated structure which can render the air valve to be costly, or subject to malfunction (e.g., if one component malfunctions). Yet a further common drawback is that many air valves are not easy to use during inflation and deflation.
Thus, there still remains a need for an air valve that is easy to use, that is effective in preventing leakage, that has a simple construction, and which can be manufactured inexpensively.
The objectives of the present invention can be accomplished by providing an air valve assembly having a valve block that is permanently secured to an article, the valve block having a passageway through which air can pass. The assembly further includes a valve body made from a flexible material, the valve body defining a through bore and having a wall with an inner annular indent. The assembly also includes an air block made from a rigid material. The air block has an outer wall with a flange provided on the outer wall, and a plurality of air holes and a central passageway. The flange is fitted inside the indent to attach the air block to the valve body. The assembly also has a valve flap having a disk and a shaft, the shaft having an enlarged tip, with the shaft inserted through the central passageway of the air block.